


An Act of Kindness

by rowofstars



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, First Meetings, Spinner Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time), Whump, Woobie Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 16:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20212450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: Rumplestiltskin is being harassed by Hordor when an unlikely person comes to his rescue.





	An Act of Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> This not exactly whump in its purest form, but it's what I could manage in between ocular migraines. Rated Teen because of the blood and violence. For Writer's Month prompt #11: whump.

Rumplestiltskin stumbled forward into the street.

His foot caught on the edge of one of the cobblestones, sending him to the ground. He landed on his right knee, and cried out in pain, the already damaged limb crumbling and pressing into the rough stones. His walking staff rolled away as he scrambled for it, pulling himself over the street on his belly. The cut on his head dribbled blood down over his forehead, stinging his eyes, and his bottom lip felt bruised and swollen.

The soldiers boisterous laughter made him cringe. If he could just get to his staff and get up, maybe he could get away, even if he had to crawl the length of the road. He should have never come to Avonlea, but no one would buy his thread in Longbourne anymore. No one wanted to buy from a coward and a cripple.

Just as he reached out to grab his staff, a boot came down, trapping both the staff and his hand. He yelled in pain, looking up through blurry eyes at the sneering face of the captain of the soldiers, Hordor, the one who had come looking for him after he’d fled the war.

“_Please,_” he begged. “Let me -”

“Let you what, Spinner?” Hordor leaned down, bearing all his weight on the foot that was crushing Rumplestiltskin’s fingers. “Let you run away like the pathetic coward you are?”

Rumple screamed in agony, his face dropping to the dirt. The soldiers laughed again, and he thought this was it, this was how he would die, penniless and dirty in the street. His last thought was for his son, Baelfire, hoping that Maureen’s family would take pity on the boy and give him a home.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The voice was sharp and clear, ringing out over the din of the crowd and the jeers of the soldiers. Suddenly, the pressure on Rumple’s hand eased, and Hordo stepped back as a row of horseback guards came slowly towards them.

Rumplestiltskin wrapped his hand around the staff, wincing as the skin on his injured knuckles pulled and split open further, oozing blood between his fingers and over the knotty wood. He rolled onto his side and blinked into the sun, wiping his arm over his face. He shuffled back, pushing against the ground with his good leg, and making his already dirty clothes even filthier. 

The horses hooves clicked against the stones as they came towards him, and he began to shake with fear that whatever these men would do to him would be even worse than what Hordor had already done.

The guards separated to either side, and up the middle came a woman on a sizable white horse. She came to a stop and looked around, her mouth set in a hard, thin line and her eyes narrowing when she came to Hordor.

“Captain Hordor," she said, her voice sharp.

Hordor squared his shoulders and swallowed before he bowed low. "My Lady Belle, I am sorry, but your father made me responsible for rounding up deserters. I was only doing my duty.”

Belle twisted and slid down off the saddle, landing lightly on her feet, sending the skirts of her blue dress billowing out around her. It was a smooth, practiced move, and Rumple was momentarily surprised at how at ease she seemed. He had never seen a highborn lady riding a horse before, they were always behind velvet curtains in ornate carriages.

“Beating a man half to death is _not_ rounding up deserters," she said, stepping up until she was nearly toe to toe with Hordor. “You’re relieved of duty, _Captain._”

Hordor bristled. “My orders come directly from your father -”

“My _father,_” she interrupted, “is not here. He is seeing to our men on the frontlines, men who have given honorably of themselves and secured victory and safety for our people."

There was a murmur through the crowd, and she glanced down at Rumplestiltskin. He clutched his staff to him as he lay on the ground, uncertain of what to think of this Lady Belle, other than she had the most striking blue eyes.

"Per the laws of this kingdom," she continued, "bestowed upon us by his majesty King George, _I_ am in charge while my father is away."

“I - I’m sorry, Your Grace,” muttered Hordor.

She gave Hordor a flat smile. “As am I. And I’m sorry for all those who have lost their lives to such senseless, pointless violence. But there is no war anymore, and as such no deserters. Certainly, not any that would deserve this kind of - of - _barbaric_ treatment.”

"No! This man, and others like him, are traitors!"

Her eyes flashed with anger. "Captain, you forget yourself!"

Then she whirled on her heel, her blue riding dress fluttering out around her, and walked back to the line of guards. One of them, a handsome man with a beard and a blue sash across his armor, leaned down to speak with her for a minute, before dismounting his horse. The man motioned to two others, and together they approached Hordor as he babbled for forgiveness.

They took Hordor by the arms and ripped away his sword, before dragging him through the row of guards and soldiers. Immediately, Belle turned on the men who had been with Hordor. She didn’t need to say anything at all to have them groveling and muttering their pleas for forgiveness.

“Put them on stable duty, Graham,” she said to the bearded man, her lips curving slightly. “I think that will make them sufficiently apologetic.”

Graham smiled crookedly, and bowed at the waist. “As you wish, my Lady.”

The crowd of people began to disperse, and most of the guards followed after the men dragging Hordor away, down the main road in the direction of the castle. But Graham stayed behind with a few men and Lady Belle. 

She came near Rumpelstiltskin, and knelt down. “Are you all right?”

Rumple wasn’t quite sure what to do or say. No words he knew of seemed adequate to thank a noble lady for saving his life. He nodded slowly, wincing as even that small movement caused him further pain. 

Lady Belle’s head tilted to the side and she shook her head. “Of course you’re not.” Then she looked back over her shoulder at Graham. “Bring my carriage, please. We’ll bring him to the castle.”

Graham inclined his head, and then marched off to see to his Lady’s orders.

“Carriage?” Rumple said, confused. “Castle?” His entire body hurt, and he still wasn’t sure he could trust what was happening to him was real, but Lady Belle’s eyes were so soft and kind when she looked at him.

Belle smiled at him. “Yes, it will be easier to see your injuries there, and I certainly don’t expect you to walk.”

“Please, my - my Lady,” he managed, pausing to swallow some of the blood that had gather at the back of his throat. “It’s - it’s no matter. I’ll be fine.”

She frowned. “You are not fine. Please, I know - I know you have no reason to trust me as we’ve only just met, but I promise you no further harm will come to you.”

Her hand stretched out to him, holding in the air, palm up and open. After a long moment, he pushed himself as upright as he could manage, and held out his, larger, dirtier one. She took it without hesitation, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze, while behind her a carriage painted in a deep green rolled up, pulled by two light gray horses. Graham and another guard, helped Rumplestiltskin up, taking him under the arms and supporting him as he limped to the carriage. He looked back, and saw Lady Belle picking up his walking staff. 

A few minutes later, he was situated in perhaps the nicest seat he’d ever sat on, with Lady Belle across from him. His staff leaned against the seat beside her while she arranged her skirts.

“I - I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” he said, keeping his eyes on the floor.

A hand reached out and touched his knee, and he looked up, meeting Lady Belle’s eyes. They were a truly unfathomable blue, like the sky on a perfect spring day.

“No, it is I who am sorry. Hordor is one of the King’s men, and my father foolishly believed he was honorable.” She took her hand away and sat back against the seat as the carriage lurched forward. “So, what is your name?”

“Ru-Rumplestiltskin.”

Belle’s eyes went wide. “My, that’s quite a name. Well, it’s lovely to meet you Rumplestiltskin. I’m Belle.”

She smiled at him, and he marveled at the sound of his name from her lips almost more than the fact that she was introducing herself to him like it was nothing, like they were the same station. They had just met, yet he knew without a doubt that she must be one of the kindest people in all the world.

“Belle,” he said softly, returning her smile. “Yes, it’s - lovely.”


End file.
